1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to manipulator assemblies for attachment to a bucket of a construction vehicle, specifically for attachment of utility tools to a front loader.
2. Description of the Related Art
Utility vehicles which incorporate a front loading bucket are prevalent in industry for scooping quantities of material and moving the material from one place to another. These front loading systems can be removably mounted to vehicles such as a farm tractor, or they may be integrally mounted on a vehicle dedicated to the front loading task. The general construction of a front loader also lends itself to performing multiple tasks other than scooping quantities of material. However, in order to perform these other tasks the user is often required to remove the bucket to mount an alternate apparatus or attachment to the front loader for use. Removing the bucket and attaching a new apparatus to the front loader is often time consuming and thus an inefficient use of time and equipment.
One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,689 to Schneider et al. The '689 Patent discloses a quick attachment system for attaching a bucket to a vehicle. The vehicle has a pair of lift arms positioned adjacent the bucket. The user exits the vehicle and positions an alignment member into a locking bracket on the bucket. Once the alignment member is positioned, the user operates a lever that forces the pins into the lift arms. The bucket is now attached to the vehicle for use. However, the '689 Patent does not disclose, teach, or suggest attaching utility tools to the bucket, while the bucket remains attached to the vehicle.
While some attachments may require direct mounting to the front loader after the bucket is removed, there are lighter duty attachments for which this requirement is not a necessity. For these lighter duty accessories, attachment to the bucket precludes the necessity for bucket removal, mounting of the apparatus, and then reversing the process after the use of the attachment has been completed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,550,512 to Felstet and 6,088,938 to Logan illustrate attachment mechanisms for attaching a tool to a bucket. The '512 Patent discloses an implement being connected to a bucket having sockets for receiving the implement. The implement is secured to the bucket by inserting bolts through the bucket and into the implement. The '938 Patent discloses a hinged attachment for connecting the tool to a bucket. The attachment is connected to a plate with hinges that engage the bucket. The attachment pivots about the hinges and then pins are used to secure the base of the attachment to the bucket. Another assembly, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,832 to Hagger, discloses a bucket mounted sweeper. The sweeper has rods that engage hinges on the bucket. The sweeper is utilized to sweep material into the bucket. The sweeper does not have any other attachment means, therefore the sweeper is able to pivot as the bucket is raised and lowered.
Accordingly, the related art systems are characterized by one or more inadequacies. There is a need for a utility tool and universal attachment, which can be quickly attached to a bucket for use in industrial, construction, farm operations, etc. Additionally, the related art systems require the buckets to have specially designed components to engage the attachments and prevent the attachment from being attached to differently sized buckets. Furthermore, these components are actually directly attached to the bucket, thereby requiring additional time and effort to remove the components in order to use the bucket. Also the use of the bucket is hindered by the components. The related art systems also require skilled operators to have efficient operation of the utility tools.